red sweater:
I finally got a chance to go out and fly my newly acquired Breeze. I'm told it's old-school style -- curved leading edges, doesn't do flippy tricks, that sort of thing. I had a great time and it took to the light, variable, inland winds very well. However, I had a couple problems I could use some advice on.

First, I ended up losing both wingtip tensioners. The outer standoffs (short, downward pointing ones way out near the tips, almost like winglets) kept the sail fairly tensioned and in the air, but those cords were nowhere to be found. They looked like the tensioners you can see on this (Kite Life) thread, in Rob's (Must86's) response. Made (I presume) of bridle line, a loop went in the nock, then the line went back through the sail's loop, then a knot pulled over the nock.

I'm guessing the knot slipped though the nock, and eventually the whole thing just fell out. On both sides. I have some 170# bridle line on hand, more than enough to replace it, but I don't want to keep losing these. Is there a better way? Is it as simple as doubling up the knot, or is there a more secure tensioning method?

Second...I don't know how to trick this kite. Well, I don't know how to trick in general, but I can axel, spin axel, and half axel my Nirvana and SF, and am working on slots and two-pop HAs to start cascading. None of these skills transferred to the Breeze. What am I doing wrong? (I know, without a video, this is a very open ended question.) I assume it's because the kite is a very different style, not necessarily because it's lighter. (Though that probably means softer inputs all around, that didn't seem to be my problem.) Snaps to start an axel just pulled the kite into awkward orientations. I tried softer pulls, but with same-ish results. (The good news is that this kite loves to recover in the air. Not too many walks of shame in my first hour.) Any general tips for transferring from these newer polyvalent kites to an older one like the Breeze?

Edit: A suggestion I gleaned from chat was, indeed, much softer inputs. Working my way up from the lightest touch, rather than down from the aggressive inputs my other kites like.

Hadge:
The tensioners should be easy enough to make as they are just bridle line. If you stick to the original HQ set up - loop around the nock, through the sail loop and pull the knotted end back through the nock to tension - just add a suitable vinyl end cap over the nock to stop the line pulling out again.

If the Breeze is anything like the Shadow you need to guide the kite into what you want it to do rather than pop n' pull like you use on standard kites - gentle, gentle, gentle. It takes a while to adjust if you haven't used (S)UL before.

mikenchico:
Quote from: red sweater on May 06, 2013, 01:28 PM

, I ended up losing both wingtip tensioners. The outer standoffs (short, downward pointing ones way out near the tips, almost like winglets) kept the sail fairly tensioned and in the air, but those cords were nowhere to be found. They looked like the tensioners you can see on this (Kite Life) thread, in Rob's (Must86's) response. Made (I presume) of bridle line, a loop went in the nock, then the line went back through the sail's loop, then a knot pulled over the nock.

I'm guessing the knot slipped though the nock, and eventually the whole thing just fell out. On both sides. I have some 170# bridle line on hand, more than enough to replace it, but I don't want to keep losing these. Is there a better way? Is it as simple as doubling up the knot, or is there a more secure tensioning method?

Don't just make a pigtail for those tensioners and insert it through the leading edge, it'll fall out as you experienced. Cut two pieces of line the right length but don't tie them, put one end through the hole or tab then loop around and insert it through again, even both ends then tie your knot. Now you can pull the loop to put over the nock then pull the knot to tighten and secure it. You should split the line at the knot over the nock then push the knot into the nock if possible to eliminate that as a snag point. No more lost tensioners, no more snag points to facilitate tip wraps :)

red sweater:
Quote from: mikenchico on June 01, 2013, 05:43 AM

Don't just make a pigtail for those tensioners and insert it through the leading edge, it'll fall out as you experienced. Cut two pieces of line the right length but don't tie them, put one end through the hole or tab then loop around and insert it through again, even both ends then tie your knot. Now you can pull the loop to put over the nock then pull the knot to tighten and secure it. You should split the line at the knot over the nock then push the knot into the nock if possible to eliminate that as a snag point. No more lost tensioners, no more snag points to facilitate tip wraps :)

I felt like such an idiot when someone up thread mentioned end caps. Duh, all my other kites have them. (Clearly I don't fly them often enough.) But this is a great idea, too, as long as I don't bang up the exposed nocks.